


Truly Unfortunate

by ammehsuor



Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M, Sickfic, please peek at the note beforehand!, ren tries to get goro sick on purpose lmao, this is KINK stuff so be forewarned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 18:22:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20363014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ammehsuor/pseuds/ammehsuor
Summary: It was a stupid, spiteful fantasy.





	Truly Unfortunate

**Author's Note:**

> Helloooo...  
It's been a while since I've done any sickfic work, but that's definitely my field so take this mess.  
Please be mindful that this is along the same lines as Cherry Syrup! Deliberate contagion and all that. I just wouldn't want anyone to expect a soft caretaking oneshot and then get This, lol.
> 
> If you're cool with that, enjoy!

It was a stupid, spiteful fantasy.

"He's always hangin' around you, dude. It's annoying. How are we supposed to talk about confidential shit in person if he's sitting right at the bar every night?"

Ryuji had a point. Akechi started visiting almost every evening starting a few weeks prior. If he didn't know any better, Ren might think he was trying to keep an eye on the delinquent and his fellow delinquent friends. Big deal. They had nothing to hide, so if that was all he came for, he sure was good at pretending to love the coffee and quiet on its own. Besides, he had better things to worry about.

Staying up late studying and ducking from air conditioned buildings to hot crowded trains found Ren stuck with an annoying summer cold. Mild enough to get away with working, especially when Sojiro wasn't around to watch his every move, but still frustratingly itchy and troublesome at night when he just wanted to fall asleep.

The idea was to, perhaps, give the nosy detective a little parting gift one night, in the hopes of buying a day or two to breathe. Something about Akechi said he wasn't susceptible to getting sick, but a targeted attempt might do the trick.

At first it felt like a horrible idea- maybe even a bit cruel. But after turning down the little plan Ryuji hatched, it wouldn't leave Ren's mind. Would it really be _ that _ bad? With Akechi hanging around so often, insisting on food and drinks prepped and served by someone quite obviously sick, there was a good chance he'd catch it anyway. Right? In which case, speeding up the process- and having some fun with it in the meantime- couldn't _ really _be so cruel.

Hence the night Ren decided to nap before his closing shift. He woke up groggy and congested, as per usual, but it didn't feel fair to hide the whole show from Akechi. Surely he'd notice, and if he really felt put off, he'd have the chance to leave. If not, then… well, it couldn't be helped, right?

Akechi sat at the bar in his regular spot, scribbling in a crossword puzzle. He perked up and smiled at the sound of Ren stepping behind the counter.

"Good evening. I was starting to think you were off tonight."

"Nah. Just took a little nap," he replied, rubbing at his nose with his sleeve for emphasis. Akechi didn't even flinch.

"That's wise, after a long day. Just be sure not to overdo it. If you wake up in the middle of a deep sleep cycle, you'll find yourself more tired than before. Not many people realize that."

Yeah, this uptight troublemaker definitely needed to get knocked down a few pegs with Ren's cold.

"Can I get a pour over today? I have quite a bit of time, so I'm alright with waiting."

Sure. Ren nodded, stepping to the back for the pour over cone. Sure, absolutely.

For such a special drink, Ren wanted to prepare everything accordingly. He chose a mug that was taller and thinner than the others. This way it would be easier for Akechi to drink from a spot where Ren had run his tongue all around the rim, coating it with plenty of contagious saliva.

He was satisfied with the result, but as he put the mug down to set up the pour over, a fierce itch bloomed in his nose. The baser part of his brain convinced him not to stifle at the last second, and a germ-filled sneeze sprayed freely down his front, effectively drenching the counter and the entirety of Akechi's mug.

Ren sniffled thickly as he watched the glistening ceramic slowly return to its unassuming, matte appearance. The thought of what he'd just done made him blush, but he managed to collect himself. Too late to go back now.

He finished prepping, the paper cone filter spreading out as hot water sifted through the sandy grounds and dripped syrupy coffee into the mug. Ren watched it in a meditative trance, trying not to think too hard about what kind of reaction Akechi would have when he caught this.

The coffee was in front of him minutes later, and he seemed especially pleased with it, drinking it down slowly. Ren tried not to stare as he swallowed and licked his lips.

"I don't suppose it's too late for curry?" Akechi smiled, giving his barista a hopeful look.

"Oh, no. We still have plenty. Never too late for that."

_Perfect_.

Ren took the mug and prepared a refill while the curry rice and sauce came to the proper temperature. When it was ready to serve, Ren peeked nonchalantly around the corner, making sure the detective wasn't paying attention to him. He lifted a generous, piping-hot ladle of curry and poured it artfully over the bed of rice, ensuring all the vegetables were colorfully distributed in the hearty liquid. Now, it may have _ looked _delicious, but how did it taste? Certainly Sojiro would be keen on the idea of him checking that every helping would be to a customer's liking, same as the coffee.

With a smirk, Ren plucked a clean spoon from the silverware bin and took a portion small enough to not be missed by the average consumer. He parted his lips and let the hot food sit on his tongue, spice and texture the only things he could sense through the congestion. Perfect as always; a plate of his own might help him feel a bit better, too. But it never hurt to check for quality.

Ren sucked indulgently on the spoon, the tang of metal telling him there was nothing left on it, but every few extra seconds increased the success rate of his little idea and that was too good to pass up. This _was _rather fun after all.

When he was satisfied, he slid the saliva-coated silverware under the rice, where it would be inconspicuous at the very least.

First the coffee cup, and now this. Would such a thing really work? Despite what he'd seen on television over the years, it just seemed too unlikely. Perhaps that's what made the fantasy of it even more alluring. What would Akechi think if he woke up the next morning with a headache, coughing over a sore throat? Would he suspect Ren? If so, would he mention it? He could choose to send an offhand text, or maybe slip it in during casual conversation at Leblanc, sniffling and bundled against the chill.

The mental image of Akechi unfocused and under the weather shouldn't be so appealing, but it was, and Ren had a hard time looking him in the eye as he enjoyed every spoonful of curry that night.

"You aren't very chatty this evening, are you?" Akechi asked, long resigned to his crossword puzzle as Ren washed dishes.

"Don't have much to say," he called back, rounding the corner with clean plates. "I don't talk just to hear myself speak."

"Aha, you're right. Perhaps I'm the one guilty of that vice."

Ren didn't respond, but he could feel a hard stare digging in between his shoulder blades. Even the detective's general vibe was unreadable. Ren turned around and frowned.

"What?"

Akechi started like it was a surprise to be caught. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to unsettle you. It just seems like you're shivering quite a bit."

Was it _ that _ obvious? No, it wouldn't make sense to get defensive now. Akechi hadn't accused him of anything, after all.

The silence did not appease the detective.

"Come sit," he said, patting the bar chair to his left.

It felt like Ren was being drawn into a spider's web. Surely Akechi was suspicious of… _ something, _and intended to grill him for information. But perhaps that could work in Ren's favor. He could be a bit more careless about his symptoms and gauge the reaction from up close. By that point it would be too late to avoid exposure to all those germs, anyway. He couldn't be blamed for whatever happened afterwards.

So he sat.

Akechi studied Ren, who was still shivering the tiniest bit. If he didn't know any better, he might have labeled the look in Akechi's eyes as compassion.

"I'm alright, really." Ren sniffled just lightly enough to hint that it was a lie.

Akechi sipped his coffee and grinned. It was soft on the outside, and Ren hated how soft it felt on the inside, too, despite the fact that it probably hid needles and thumbtacks underneath. He wanted to wrap himself up in that smile for as long as possible.

"Okay. Don't tire yourself out, though."

Ren was about to roll his eyes, but the glare of light on his glasses ignited a tickle in his sinuses; he ducked halfway into his elbow, barely covering a violent sneeze that left his cheeks burning as hot as his forehead.

And Akechi was _ smirking. _

"_Bless _you," he snickered.

Oh.

So that's how it was going to be.

It was so hard to feel guilty now with temptation at the forefront of his mind. Ren shook off the feverish haze and sighed dramatically, tapping his fingers next to the ceramic mug.

"Thanks. Earlier, I thought I might just have allergies, but interestingly enough…"

He picked up the mug, holding eye contact as he lifted it to his lips.

"...Turns out I have a cold."

He tipped the mug back and took an indulgent sip, huffing out a hot breath on the rim before placing it down with a final clang of glass on wood.

"And I'm probably pretty contagious, so…"

Akechi was unreadable, again. That was a disappointment. He expected some kind of reaction at the very least, but maybe being caught up in his own head backfired--

"Sorry to hear it," Akechi said abruptly, as he picked up the coffee to finish it off right from the spot Ren's lips had touched.

He left without another word, tossing payment on the bar and leaving Ren shocked into silence.

And, to his horror, quite blatantly turned on.

* * *

Akechi didn't return the next night.

After the theatrics ended so abruptly, Ren started to think he'd done something wrong after all and Akechi was decidedly avoiding him. But that was a stupid notion. And wasn't getting him out of the way the entire point to begin with? The creeping disappointment kept Ren's mind elsewhere all throughout their first private Thieves meeting in a while. Point ruined, in the end.

It wasn't until the night after that he got a grip on the situation.

The bells to Leblanc chimed and Ren turned to greet the customer, stopping short when he saw Akechi drying his shoes on the mat after a light midsummer rain.

The detective sat down in his usual chair and gave Ren a sweet smile. It might've gone unnoticed by a casual bystander, but Ren could see the difference in his flushed complexion and slightly reddened eyes.

"Perhaps I'll have tea tonight, if that's acceptable."

Ren had to escape to the back without a word to keep from turning beet-red. Akechi was _ definitely _ sick, and it made him sound absolutely _ adorable, _and this was the complete opposite of what was supposed to happen.

Trying to keep it together, he stirred a bit of honey into mint tea and placed it in front of Akechi without looking him in the eye.

"You okay?" He asked casually while leaning down on the bar, and instantly regretted it when Akechi spoke in that tantalizing voice again.

"I have to admit I am feeling quite off today," he said. "But that's alright. 'Tis the season."

"It's July."

Akechi just kept that easy smile, hiding his lips behind the mug of tea.

Ren didn't expect this turn of events at all. He _ certainly _ did not expect the soft, kitten-like sneezes that Akechi muffled into his elbow. Certainly not what he pictured last night when he couldn't fall asleep and let his imagination run wild with a hand wrapped tight around--

Holy shit. No. This was supposed to be funny, and maybe even a little mean. It wasn't supposed to be a genuinely enjoyable treat to watch how _ cute _Akechi was while sick. And to think it was all Ren's fault…

If he wasn't blinded by his own attraction to this, he might even suspect the brunette was trying to put on his own show for attention, coughing delicately and tucking hair behind his ear to fully feel his warm cheeks. Ren would definitely scoff at that if it wasn't working so well.

Flustered, he grabbed a handful of napkins and tossed them onto the counter. Akechi flinched when they landed dangerously close to his half-finished drink.

"Use them," Ren mumbled. "You're making a lot of noise."

"Aw. Have some pity for your sick regular, Amamiya-kun. There's nobody else here to bother," Akechi said, bringing a napkin up to his nose as mischief seeped into his tone. "Although I do apologize for the disruption. I'm sure you're familiar with how annoying a cold can be."

Ren scoffed for real this time, but his blush told the truth. Damn it. Akechi being visibly sick was so disarming, it made facades drop on a dime.

"Or perhaps… could it be that you're entertained by my suffering?"

"I don't understand what you're trying to say," Ren muttered a bit too quickly.

Akechi smirked. "You're watching me rather intently. Sometimes I wonder if you choose to forget how observant I--..."

He interrupted himself with another harsh sneeze, caught in the sandpaper-rough napkin that just kept making his nose redder and _ god _that was so fucking adorable.

"Apologies. This is certainly a messy little cold you've given me."

Ren felt all the color drain from his face. Now it was time to splutter.

"Wh-what? What makes you think I 'gave' it to you? I literally told you I was--"

"Mm, save your breath for both our sakes." Akechi waved off his defense. "I'm not here to chastise you. Though I am curious about the 'why' of it. Normally you're not so tactless... you're embarrassed now, but it seemed like you wanted me to notice your efforts. Am I wrong?"

Ren honestly couldn't answer that, mainly because he wasn't too sure of the answer himself. This was so fucked and _ so _stupidly hot. Getting called out point blank with nowhere to run didn't cross his mind on a list of kinks before, but life continued to surprise him.

"You're an odd one. But I don't mind it." Akechi cracked a conspiratorial smirk. "So what part of it interests you- being coy about passing it along, or getting to see the fruits of your labor?" He cradled his chin atop his hands and smiled. "What appeals to you the most? It has to be at least one of those. Otherwise you wouldn't have tried so hard to share your cold with me."

This was absolutely humiliating. At the same time, though, Ren would be lying if he said it didn't cause a heavy-pulsed thrill that guided his words more than his brain could possibly manage at the moment.

"...Even if that were the case, you really don't seem too upset by the idea…"

Akechi hummed, looking away at nothing in particular. "Perhaps that's because I'm not upset by it. In fact, it intrigues me a bit. That is to say, I can safely assume your original plan was to drive me _ away _ with this project, but now, you seem quite content to see the results up close. It seems to affect you in a rather unusual manner. Can you blame me for being curious?"

The congestion was thick in his voice. He refused to move away, keeping his body leaned right into Ren's personal space. Worse yet, Ren couldn't find it in himself to move, either, soaking in the hints of feverish heat radiating from the detective's body.

Oh god. This was actually real life. Ren wanted to drag Akechi upstairs and fuck him raw on the dusty attic mattress while choking his precious sore throat just because he was sick and shivery with Ren's stupid cold. What a fucking world. He was pretty sure there couldn't have been a more ass-backwards outcome to this plan.

And Akechi wasn't giving him an inch.

"Oh, come on now… don't start getting all shy on me. I'd really love to be humored with an answer."

"I don't know what answers you want," Ren lied, quiet.

Akechi still wouldn't have it. He leaned in, hot breath tickling Ren's sensitive skin.

"Tell me why this turns you on, Amamiya-kun." He grinned sadistically at Ren's involuntary gasp. "A fair trade, don't you think? It's the least you could do to repay me for letting your little plan work as you wanted. Who knows; I might even consider playing along a bit longer."

Ren begged no deity in particular to keep Akechi from looking down at how hard he'd gotten after that last part. He knew this _entire _fucking time and just let it happen? And _why _did his voice have to be so seductive like this? Ren could easily imagine a heavy, almost uncomfortably warm weight hovering over top of him, short of breath, whispering awful insults into his neck as those same soft lips tainted his skin with clumsy kisses and nips. Would Akechi keep pressing the issue in bed, degrading Ren for being so depraved with a fist around the base of his cock, teasing at the head until he came dry again and again? Maybe he'd even find it fitting payback to take the reigns and fuck Ren senseless, filling him up with some fluids of his own.

Ren's fantasies from the night before felt dangerously close now. He was so disgusting. The sheets would get soaked with enough sweat to warrant a second laundry day this week but at this point it was probably well worth it.

Ren swallowed over his own ever-scratchy throat.

"I'll answer your questions. Upstairs. If you want," Ren muttered.

Akechi's gaze was molten, and he laughed in a tone that could bury Ren's soul.

"Perhaps it's the fever talking, but I think I'd enjoy that."


End file.
